Fairmont Canine Ambassador

Known for thoughtful and welcoming service, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts offers a distinctive service at select hotels with resident hotel dogs known as Canine Ambassadors.

Travellers missing their own furry friend or looking for a companion while taking a walk can bring along the resident Fairmont dog for extra security and the comfort of home.

The Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind and other non-profits trained many of the pups and although they didn’t end up becoming guide dogs, they are committed to the new goal of making every guest smile. All join their four-legged colleagues as official members of the hotels’ Guest Services Teams.

The newest member of Fairmont’s Canine Ambassador team is Monte, a Golden Retriever at Fairmont Le Château Montebello in Quebec who was originally trained as a seeing-eye dog by the Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind in Ottawa. Monte stood out as having a ‘larger than life’ personality that made him the perfect fit for a new found life in hospitality. For some quiet time, the happy pooch relaxes in his replica log château, specially designed for him by the hotel’s engineering team.

Edie, a white Boxer/Labrador Retriever at Fairmont Pittsburgh is named after Pittsburgh native Andy Warhol’s “superstar” Edie Sedgwick and is readily available to accompany guests on walks around the hotel. Edie began her training in the assistant dog program at Circle Tail, Inc. in Pleasant Plain, Ohio. After completing over a year of training, Edie’s friendly and outgoing personality proved to be better suited to the hospitality industry where she gets to meet new people every day.

In Kenya, sisters Tusker and Grammy are a Labrador and Ridgeback mix and work at Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club. They can be found around the Club taking walks together, jumping into ponds and chasing birds over 100 acres of picturesque landscape.

Golden Labrador Retriever Marcus, known to his friends as Mark, is the Director of Pet Relations at The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies. He loves to hike and play fetch with guests.

Zeus is a handsome Chocolate Labrador who is overseeing interactive guest appreciation at Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa in California. He keeps an eye on a multitude of lobby activities, co-leads guest hikes and assists in grounds supervision of the classic 226-room property.

Smudge, a Golden Labrador Retriever, recently moved to Fairmont Hotel Macdonald in Edmonton.
Joining the pack in summer of 2009 was Jordy, a Black Labrador Retriever at Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu in Quebec. Jordy meets and greets guests, goes on scheduled walks and runs, and serves as a community liaison.

Catie Copley, a Black Labrador originally trained as a guide dog with the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind in New York, changed careers to become the famed Canine Ambassador for The Fairmont Copley Plaza Boston. Catie has been the star of two children’s books, the second of which includes her colleague Santol.

At Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, Canine Ambassador Santol was originally bred and trained to be a guide dog by the Mira Foundation. Given his amazing kindness and incredible social skills, the Mira Foundation partnered with the hotel to find Santol a new career where he can constantly socialize!
In Vancouver guests can meet Mavis, a Lab/Retriever mix, and Beau, a Yellow Labrador, at The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Both are former BC Guide Dog trainees that were better suited to the social life of a hotel ambassador. The Fairmont Waterfront was the first hotel in the company to introduce a K9 Ambassador — welcoming Morgan, a Black Labrador, in 2002. He is now enjoying his dog days of retirement.

As personalized relationships are at the heart of Fairmont service, guests can stay in touch with their furry friends, by sending some “ani-mail” either by snail mail to the hotel or via email: edie.woof@fairmont.com, catie.copley@fairmont.com, mavisthedog@fairmont.com, beauthedog@fairmont.com, cmt.gracie@fairmont.com and lcf.santol@fairmont.com. Guests who want to stay in touch with Catie, Santol and Smudge can keep up with them on their own individual Facebook pages as well.

James Wilkinson

Editor-In-Chief, Hotel Management